Here we provide background information about the Festival itself and about its island setting. The Festival is an ideal time to visit Orkney, to see more of the islands and their wealth of history, archaeology and natural beauty. The Festival programme includes outings with expert guidance, talks with new insights, and an opportunity to meet many people, local and visiting. There are also opportunities to sample Orkney food and drink in what is overall a true Festival atmosphere.

FRONTIERS magazine
The new online magazine Frontiers
is now available. It is aimed to be
a magazine in its own right,
highlighting stories about science
and people, with a wide range of
contributors and a high
quality of design.

You can get more information about the Festival in a variety of ways, and you can also contact us direct.

Highlights from 2016 Family Day

You could find out about living in space, or operate a robot arm. You could make a noisy drawing or a porridge poultice, an ancient animal or a modern molecule. You could learn about flowers for native bees, or try a Raspberry Pi. And there was a range of opportunities with 3D printing, shaping printed flowers into necklaces and bracelets.

There were astronomical activities, and investigations into rocks, scientific detective work with colour, and a look at the skills of broch-building.

We had a great time at the Family Day,” said one family, “and came home with so much stuff that we had made. Zerowaste chicken, geometric lantern and herbal soap bombs being our favourites, as well as being human drum machines and making circle art to go into the Town Hall installation and causing bangs and fizzes and colours upstairs.